Taxol, a substance originally isolated from the Pacific Yew tree (Taxus brevefolia) more than two decades ago is approved by the United States Food and Drug Adminstration for the clinical treatment of cancer patients. This molecule exerts its anticancer activity by inhibiting mitosis through enhancement of the polymerization of tubulin and consequent stabilization of microtubules. The scarcity of taxol and the ecological impact of harvesting it have prompted extensive searches for alternative sources including semisynthesis, cellular culture production and chemical synthesis. The latter has been thwarted by the magnitude of the synthetic challenge.